Oil Slick in the Gulf of Mexico

On July 24, 2010, the administrator of the U.S. National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Jane Lubchenco, provided a briefing about
the anticipated impact of Tropical Storm Bonnie on the Deepwater Horizon
oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico. Bonnie was expected to help dissipate and
weather the oil on the sea surface, spreading out the slick, lowering
surface concentrations, and making the oil more amenable to biodegradation.
On July 28, 2010, after Bonnie had passed through the region, NOAA reported
less oil observed on Gulf of Mexico overflights.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua
satellite captured this natural-color image on July 28, 2010. Around the
location of the oil leak, and around the Mississippi Delta, relatively light
swirls and patches appear on the ocean surface. These areas might be oil
slicks, although other factors could affect the water's ability to reflect
sunlight, especially near the shore. If these pale-hued sheens are
oil-slicked areas, they contain very little recoverable oil, according to
NOAA.